Guidonian Hand‘s debut recording is finally out and it’s a doozy — an incredible performance of Jeremy Howard Beck‘s “Awakening,” composed for trombone quartet. Beck won the 2011 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award for the piece and the group puts everything they have into this incredibly adventurous, moving, and spiritual music.
From the quartet:
“Awakening” has been a special piece for us, we have closed concerts with it all over the country over the last two years and rarely do we not have multiple audience members come up to us afterwards to convey their profound appreciation of it…
Each movement is based on one of four different shofar calls, the Tekiah (Blast), Shevarim (Broken), Teruah (Alarm), and Tekiah Gedolah (Big Blast). The music reflects Beck’s reaction to the massive nationwide protests which followed the passage of Proposition 8 in California and, in his words, “exists somewhere between protest chant and liturgical calls, an equal mix of joy and outrage, belonging and alienation. The word ‘awakening’ means to me that we can never go back to the way things were.”
“Awakening” was recorded in surround sound on March 9, 2011 in the Greenfield Recital Hall at the Manhattan School of Music. It’s now available on iTunes, Amazon (mp3), and Bandcamp (in all formats including MP3 320, FLAC, VBR, ALAC).
After a long fall in a studio in Western Mass., classical guitarists Duo Orfeo are set to unveil their new album of modern classical music on April 14. It’s available to purchase at the group’s official website. The album sees them tackling a diverse set of compositions on a pair of electric guitars. It adds up to a spellbinding program:
John Cage: In a Landscape
Valentin Silvestrov: Silent Songs, Part One (Selections)
Erik Satie: Trois Gnossiennes
Arvo Part: Fratres
Federico Mompou: Musica Callada, Book One, I-III
Erik Satie: Trois Gymnopedies
Arvo Part: Spiegel Im Spiegel
[All selections arranged for electric guitar duo by Joe Ricker (except last item, which was arranged by Arvo Part and Joe Ricker).]
The guys published a blog post recently about the making of the album with Northampton’s Peter Blanchette, which ties together all the recording, editing, and even surprise correspondence and collaboration with Mr. Part.
December 8th 2011 – Somewhere in Estonia Arvo Part himself listen to our version of his “Spiegel im Spiegel” and nodded his head in approval. We were incredibly thrilled when we heard this and were happy to incorporate a few subtly brilliant suggestions that he made for our arrangement into the final mix.
The album was made possible with incredible Kickstarter support from fans and supporters. It will be available to purchase exclusively at their website, www.duoorfeo.com, but we are excited to have two of the tracks available to stream here on their artist page!
New York’s janus trio continue their 2012 rampage with a show tonight at one of our favorite venues in New York, Public Assembly. The place knows no boundaries and we’re almost already taking its adventurous programming for granted — shouldn’t we be able to have indie rock, bass parties, art shows, hip-hop nights and new classical ensembles at every club in town? If that ever happens, thank the people at Public Assembly for proving that it rules. This weekend’s latest concert for the Inside the Whale series gives you yet another reason to check it out.
Saturday, janus joins fellow New Amsterdam records artists Big Farm. Big Farm is a supergroup of sorts, featuring composer Steven Mackey on electric guitar, Pulitzer Prize finalist Rinde Eckert on vocals, Jason Treuting of So Percussion on drums, and Mark Haanstra on bass, has not performed in New York since performing with janus in 2010.
One of the most unique aspects of being a world-class organist is the wide world of other people’s instruments that one comes across through travels and performances. Our own Rhonda Sider Edgington has amassed a cathedral full of knowledge and experience about organs from a wide variety of backgrounds, and she’s always eager to share her findings with us.
She recently dropped in on the Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., where she gave a performance on their huge 138-rank organ from Allen Organs.
A few days later, she traveled to Holland, Mich. to give a presentation to its chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She says:
I put together a Power Point with lots of photos from churches and organs where I spent lots of time playing, recordings of myself playing historic organs in Geramny, as well as a recording of myself before I went to Germany (so we could compare and contrast!). I also played two pieces live for the group as well, and discussed how I have changed musically because of the time I spent in Germany.
Then, last weekend, she traveled to Staunton, Va. to perform at the Trinity Episcopal Church there. This performance included a performance on the church’s Taylor and Boody organ, whose maker also hosted her that weekend!
John Boody hosted me for the weekend, and showed me around the Taylor and Boody shop, (which was fascinating!), and took me to see a few others of their instruments in the area. It was great fun to be able to see and play some really wonderful organs, that reminded me a lot of the instruments I played during my time in Germany, since John Boody and his partner George Taylor count North German organ building as one of their great influences.
Rhonda has several more performances this spring — stay tuned for updates on what kinds of incredible instruments she uncovers next…
There’s still time to grab your ticket to hear janus trio at the Ecstatic Music Festival, next Thursday, February 23. The trio will be sharing the stage with Jason Treuting (So Percussion), Nick Zamutto (The Books), Grey McMurray (Knights on Earth, itsnotyouitsme) and Daisy Press. Every piece of music that night will be brand spanking new and the group promises: ”IT WILL BE KILLER.”
Follow this link to read what Allan Kozzin from the New York Times says about the Festival and good friend, composer extraordinaire Angelica Negron (who performed last week).
The Ecstatic Music Festival is hosted by New Amsterdam Records and the Kaufman Center. There are several tickets options at different price levels. Follow this link for more info, tickets and sound samples of all the artists participating.
Posted on February 16th, 2012 by mattparish
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